Stage Page: ‘Late Company’ addresses repercussions of bullying on 2 families

Canadian Playwright Jordan Tannahill is only 28 and already has earned the title of “the future of Canadian Theatre. He is also a producer, director, actor and choreographer, and openly gay. As such, he surely has experienced bullying by others who insist in making fun of those who chose to live their lives as they choose. This is especially true in the online world of Facebook and You Tube where anyone can post almost anything these days, leaving themselves open to ridicule from others.

 

We have all heard news about gay teens whose bullying from others causes feelings of non-acceptance, often leading them to end whatever emotional suffering they are experiencing by taking their own lives. Such is the subject matter of Tannahill’s play LATE COMPANY, whose American premiere is taking place at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills through February 19, directed by Bruce Gray (a resident director at Theatre 40 who most recently directed “Breath of Spring and Double Door”) at a pace that keeps the action flowing smoothly or slows it down to allow time to take in all that is being said from both sides of the situation. The cast features Ann Hearn, Grinnell Morris, Jennifer Lynn Davis, Todd Johnson and Baker Chase Powell.

As the play opens, Michael (Grinnell Morris), a Canadian politician, and his wife Debora (Ann Hearn) prepare for their slightly tardy dinner guests Bill (Todd Johnson) and Tamara (Jennifer Lynn Davis), and their son Curtis (Baker Chase Powell). As the play unfolds, we learn that it’s been one year since the suicide of Joel, the gay son of Michael and Debora. The wives know each other from their teens’ high school, and Curtis, it turns out, was part of a group that bullied Joel about his sexual orientation after, unknown by his mother, overly flamboyant videos were posted by Joel on You Tube.

The dinner, it’s hoped, will be an occasion to achieve closure by Debora and Curtis writing and reading letters to each other, telling their view of the truth and/or apologizing for their actions.

But since the wounds are still raw, especially for Debora, what emerges are rounds of finger-pointing and revelations of unknown things. But with Joel’s parents being open-minded and accepting of their son, Curtis’ parents are repulsed and have made sure their son feels the same way. And in the end, you will wonder if closure and healing are even possible in this heart-wrenching situation.

The play offers a star-making turn for Baker Chase Powell as Curtis as you watch him morph from non-caring and unapologetic teen into accepting his own role in Joel’s suicide as he listens to the exchange of anger between the sets of parents. When he finally realizes and accepts how his bullying caused the dire consequences, even though he and his friends saw it as funny, Powell’s total breakdown at the end is breathtaking in its heartbreaking realism.

All four of the other actors portray very different types of parents with one couple in despair over their son being the victim of bullying and the other doing their best to defend the actions of their son, the perpetrator. While it is easy to sympathize with Grinnell Morris and Ann Hearn as the parents who are suffering from despair and depression over losing their son, Todd Johnson and Jennifer Lynn Davis are portrayed as reprehensible bigots whose use of violence against their son as a way to get him to bend to their beliefs, makes it easy to understand why Curtis reacted as his dad did to Joel’s gay-themed inspired videos which initiated the bullying.

And when Hearn learns of the videos and realizes her husband knew about them all along and never told her, the shock she feels is registered in every ounce of her being, perhaps because she realizes her son may just be partially at fault for the resulting actions and that perhaps she should have been more interested in how he was choosing to live a more open life as she so encouraged him to do.

All five actors give remarkably painful portrayals so needed to bring the audience’s full attention and emotions into following the storyline. I am sure one of the parents, if not more, will flood your own mind with memories of how your parents attempted to raise you and whether or not you challenged or accepted their beliefs as your own.

Issues of family dynamics, gender orientation and bullying are all fertile ground for this compelling drama. I hope you walk away thinking it is time to monitor what your teens are posting online, or at lease talk with them about how even the most innocent postings can be misinterpreted and cause such unexpected bullying afterwards. Better yet, take your teens with you to experience this mesmerizing presentation to inspire a family discussion afterwards.

Technical credits are exemplary as always with set design by Jeff G. Rack, costume design by Michèle Young which incorporates burgundy, blue and black in many variations, lighting design by Ric Zimmerman, and sound design by Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski.

 

The U.S. Premiere engagement of Jordan Tannahill’s new play LATE COMPANY, directed by Bruce Gray and produced by David Hunt Stafford, continues through Febr. 19, 2017 on Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m, Sun. at 2 p.m. at Theatre 40, a professional company located on the campus of Beverly Hills High School in the Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills. Running time is approximately 90 minutes without an intermission. Tickets are $30 with reservations via phone at 310-364-0535 or online at www.theatre40.org